chittoor tourism

Chittoor City Travel Guide

Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh: Chittoor is a town and the head quarters of the Chittoor District in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the Renigunta - Katipadi railway line and on the National Highway between Chennai and Bangalore. Chittoor (or Chittur) is also termed as the Temple Town of Tirumala and Tirupati, one of the major pilgrim centres in the entire country. The town is regarded as the gateway to most of the pilgrims coming to visit Tirupati from South Indian states like Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu.

A fast growing town due to its pilgrimage importance, Chittoor has a population of about 1,52,654 as per the census taken in 2001. The climate here is moderate with tolerable summer and good rains. Best time to visit Chittoor is between September and February. The warm and friendly people of the town are welcoming and make the visitor feel comfortable. The local language spoken by its denizens is basically Telugu and Tamil while English and Hindi are understood and spoken comfortably. With picturesque lush green fields all around, the basic economy of the town is based on agriculture, the main produce being sugarcane, jaggery, peanuts/groundnuts, grains and mangoes. Before leaving the town, don't forget to carry these fresh produce back home, as they are reasonably cheaper.

The town has a perfect balance of sophisticated city and small town charm. Once you are in town, there are many places, in and around, where you can spend your time. The town itself offers many things to see and do. Right from parks, shrines, restaurants to entertainment centres and prominent landmarks, you find them all. There is a deer park, Masonics Chittoor Stadium, and Church in the church street, Sugar Factories, Nutrine Confectionery, which you can visit while in town.

There are small but prominent temples like Subramanian Swami temple on the hill, Sai Baba temple, Sri Venkateshwara Temple in Thangal, Anjaneya Swami temple in Aragonda and many others, which you can visit to know the customs, traditions and beliefs of the local people. There are alsopilgrimage centres, heritage centres, wild life sanctuaries, waterfalls, holiday resort and theme parks, around the town. There goes no time when you get bored while you are staying at Chittoor.

The town also offers entertainment of all kinds with cinema halls, bars and pubs around. Some of the good theatres are Chanakya, Raghava, Srinivasa and MSR movie land where you can watch many Telugu but a few Hindi and English movies. Some good places where you get to taste the local gastronomy are Pratap restaurant just opposite to the bus stand, which is a good place for non-vegetarian lover. The best hotel is CTR with good quality and best price. For some pure vegetarian culinary, you can step into Sri Valli Bhavan, which is a best place for a vegan.

There are plenty of local transportation facilities available for you to move from one part of the town to another. There are local APSRTC buses with different numbers to indicate a particular bus route. Enquire at a local bus stand before boarding a bus.

Autos are the best option to travel, as they are fast and comfortable. They charge as per the digital meter, which a minimum fare of Rs.12. If you have a own vehicle (car) or can manage to hire a taxi, then driving down is the best option.